Catalytic Activity of Nanometer-Sized CuO/Fe₂O₃ on Thermal Decompositon of AP and Combustion of AP-Based Propellant

Abstract

Nanometer-sized CuO, Fe₂O₃ and CuO/Fe₂O₃ were synthesized by a conventional solid-state reaction method. The obtained products were characterized by XRD and TEM. The catalytic activity of the products on ammonium perchlorate (AP) thermal decomposition was investigated by TG-DTA. The burning rate and pressure exponent of the propellant modified by the products CuO, Fe₂O₃ and CuO/Fe₂O₃ were measured by strand burner method, respectively. The experimental results showed that the obtained products play a catalytic role in the thermal decomposition of AP and combustion of AP-based propellant. The order of the catalytic performance of obtained products on AP thermal decomposition is CuO/Fe₂O₃ >CuO >Fe₂O₃. The catalytic activity of CuO/Fe₂O₃ is better than that of simplex CuO and Fe₂O₃, which attributes to the synergistic effect of combined catalyst. Compared with basic propellant, the burning rate of propellant modified by 1% CuO/Fe₂O₃ increases around 55%, whereas the pressure exponent is nearly invariable. A possible mechanism was put forward.

Keywords:

• Ap-based propellant
• Catalytic activity
• Combustion
• CuO/Fe₂O₃
• Nanometer-sized
• Thermal decomposition

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank the National Natural Science Foundations of China (No: 505720 39), Start up Foundation of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, and Xi'an North Huian Chemical Industry Limited Company for the combustion experiments.